Metroid Dread
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''Metroid Dread'' is an
action-adventure The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
developed by
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
and
MercurySteam Mercury Steam Entertainment S.L., Trade name, doing business as MercurySteam, is a Spanish video game developer based in San Sebastián de los Reyes, Community of Madrid, Madrid. The company was founded by former members of Rebel Act Studios, w ...
and published by Nintendo for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
. It was released on October 8, 2021. Set after the events of ''
Metroid Fusion is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. It was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, which had developed the previous game in the series, ''Super Metroid'' (1994). Players contr ...
'' (2002), players control bounty hunter
Samus Aran is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of the video game series ''Metroid'' by Nintendo. She was created by Japanese video game designer Makoto Kano. She was introduced as a player character in the original 1986 video game ''Me ...
as she investigates the source of a mysterious transmission on the planet ZDR. It retains the side-scrolling gameplay of previous 2D '' Metroid'' games and incorporates stealth elements. It was the first original 2D Metroid game in 19 years. ''Metroid'' producer
Yoshio Sakamoto (born July 23, 1959) is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. He has worked at Nintendo since 1982. He has directed several games in the '' Metroid'' series. He is one of the most prominent members of Nintendo's former Researc ...
conceived ''Dread'' for the
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
in the mid-2000s, but development ended due to technical limitations. Industry commentators expressed interest in a new 2D ''Metroid'' game, and listed ''Dread'' in their "most wanted" lists. After their work on '' Metroid: Samus Returns'' in 2017, Sakamoto appointed MercurySteam to develop ''Dread'', the first original side-scrolling ''Metroid'' game since ''Metroid Fusion''. Nintendo announced it at
E3 2021 The Electronic Entertainment Experience 2021 (E3 2021) was the 26th E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products. The event, organized by the Entert ...
. Upon release, ''Metroid Dread'' received critical acclaim. At
The Game Awards 2021 The Game Awards 2021 was an award show that honored the best video games of 2021. The event was hosted by Geoff Keighley, creator and producer of The Game Awards, and was held to an invited audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on De ...
, the game received three nominations including
Game of the Year Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year. Events and ceremonies British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) ...
, winning for Best Action/Adventure Game. It became the fastest-selling ''Metroid'' game in Japan, the UK and the US, and has sold nearly 3 million copies, making it the best-selling ''Metroid'' game.


Gameplay

''Metroid Dread'' is an
action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...
in which players control bounty hunter
Samus Aran is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of the video game series ''Metroid'' by Nintendo. She was created by Japanese video game designer Makoto Kano. She was introduced as a player character in the original 1986 video game ''Me ...
as she explores the planet ZDR. It retains the side-scrolling gameplay of previous ''Metroid'' games, alongside the free aim and melee attacks added in ''
Samus Returns ''Metroid: Samus Returns'' is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by MercurySteam and Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It is a remake of the 1991 Game Boy game '' Metroid II: Return of S ...
'' (2017). As the player explores, they discover new items and weapons, allowing them to access new areas. ''Dread'' adds stealth elements, with Samus avoiding the EMMI robots in certain areas by hiding, reducing her noise, and using the Phantom Cloak, camouflage that makes her invisible but slows her movement. If an EMMI catches Samus, the player has two brief chances to perform melee counters and escape. If they fail, Samus is killed. EMMIs can only be destroyed when Samus obtains the temporary "Omega Blaster" upgrade, which is lost upon using it to destroy one; however, destroying an EMMI grants Samus a new permanent upgrade. Upgrades can also be found by finding Chozo statues or destroying a Core-X like in previous games. Players unlock images in an in-game gallery based on their completion time, difficulty level, and percentage of items collected.


Plot

The Galactic Federation receives video evidence that the X, a dangerous species of parasite that can mimic any creature it infects, survives on the remote planet ZDR. They dispatch seven EMMI (Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifiers) robots to ZDR to investigate, but lose contact with them shortly after. The Federation sends Samus Aran to ZDR to investigate. Samus encounters a Chozo warrior deep underground, who destroys the exit, defeats her in combat and strips her suit of most of its abilities. Samus is instructed by her ship's computer, Adam, to find another path to the surface and return to her ship. Samus is attacked by the EMMI, which have been reprogrammed to consider her hostile. She escapes and absorbs a mysterious energy from one of the planet's central units. The energy temporarily enables the Omega Blaster, with which she destroys the EMMI and regains some of her abilities. In Ferenia, Samus is captured by another EMMI, but is saved by a Chozo named Quiet Robe, who deactivates them. Quiet Robe explains that, long ago, the scientific Thoha tribe create the Metroids as a mean to counter the X parasites on the planet SR388. But after the Metroids went out of control, the Thoha banded with the warrior Mawkin tribe to contain them. The Thoha intended to destroy the planet with the Metroids in it, but Raven Beak, the Mawkin leader, wanted to use the Metroids as bioweapons to conquer the galaxy. He slaughtered the Thoha tribe and spared Quiet Robe so the Metroids could be controlled with his Thoha DNA. He planned to use ZDR to house Metroids, but had to contain an infestation of the X while Samus eradicated the Metroids from SR388. Raven Beak reprogrammed the EMMI robots and lured Samus to ZDR to extract the Metroid DNA implanted in her during the events of ''Fusion'', which would allow him to revive the Metroids. Quiet Robe opens a barrier to allow Samus to progress before he is assassinated by one of Raven Beak's robotic soldiers. Adam encourages Samus to defeat Raven Beak and destroy ZDR. In Elun, Samus encounters the X parasites and inadvertently releases them into the rest of the planet; one of the X possesses Quiet Robe's corpse and reactivates the remaining EMMI. Samus arrives on the surface, where she is attacked by the last of the EMMI; she destroys it by sapping its energy with her hand, a power gained from her Metroid DNA. As a side effect, Samus is slowly becoming a Metroid. On the floating fortress of Itorash, Samus confronts Raven Beak, who has been masquerading as Adam. Raven Beak reveals that he spared her before so that she would awaken her Metroid powers, at which point he would clone her to create an army of the most powerful Metroid of all. Samus battles Raven Beak and is nearly killed, but the Metroid abilities within her grant her incredible power. Samus attacks Raven Beak, draining energy from Itorash and causing it to crash into ZDR. Raven Beak is infected by an X, and Samus uses her newfound powers to destroy him. Samus retreats to her ship as ZDR begins to self-destruct, but is unable to use it due to her energy-draining Metroid powers. The X possessing Quiet Robe appears and allows itself to be absorbed into Samus to neutralize her Metroid abilities, allowing her to escape the planet before it explodes.


Development


Early efforts

''Metroid'' producer
Yoshio Sakamoto (born July 23, 1959) is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. He has worked at Nintendo since 1982. He has directed several games in the '' Metroid'' series. He is one of the most prominent members of Nintendo's former Researc ...
conceived ''Metroid Dread'' as a
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
sequel to ''
Metroid Fusion is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. It was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, which had developed the previous game in the series, ''Super Metroid'' (1994). Players contr ...
'' (2002). It came from the concept of having Samus followed by "dread" on an unfamiliar planet. Sakamoto's inspiration was "the tension surrounding the SA-X from ''Metroid Fusion'' and how we wanted to take that style of gameplay and put it into what is considered to be the normal ''Metroid'' gameplay". Sakamoto did not want ''Dread'' to be a
horror game A horror game is a video game genre centered on horror fiction and typically designed to scare the player. Unlike most other video game genres, which are classified by their gameplay, horror games are nearly always based on narrative or visual pr ...
, but did want to explore "fear-based gameplay". Sakamoto attempted to have ''Dread'' developed for the DS at least twice, but the technology was too limited to create the game he envisioned. The first attempt was made around 2005, while a second attempt was made around 2008. A playable prototype was shown to
Nintendo Software Technology Nintendo Software Technology Corporation, doing business as Nintendo Software Technology (NST), is an American video game developer. NST was created by Nintendo as a first-party developer to create games for the North American market, though their ...
and
Nintendo of America is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards. ...
staff at
E3 2009 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 (E3 2009) was the 15th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 2, 2009, and ended on June 4, 2009, with 41,000 total attendees. Majo ...
. The project was reportedly not titled ''Metroid Dread'' at that point and had an art style similar to ''Metroid Fusion''. The prototype did not meet Sakamoto's expectations, so development was halted. A major reason for this was that Sakamoto's desire for an intimidating, unsettling antagonist was difficult to achieve with the DS hardware. The title ''Metroid Dread'' first appeared on a 2005 internal
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
software list of "key DS games set to be announced in the future", triggering expectation that it would appear at the E3 convention in 2005 or 2006. By late 2005, rumors spread that ''Metroid Dread'' had been canceled or was in
development hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...
. A release date of November 2006 was listed in the February issue of ''
Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally published by EMAP as ''N ...
''. The March issue listed a release date for 2006, with a suggestion to look to
E3 2006 E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...
for further details, but the game did not appear. A message reading "Experiment status report update: Metroid project 'Dread' is nearing the final stages of completion" appears in the 2007 game '' Metroid Prime 3: Corruption''. ''Corruption'' director Mark Pacini denied any connection and said that it was coincidental. ''
Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' writer Chris Kohler expressed skepticism over Retro's denial; he felt it would be believable if Pacini said that it was a joke, but the claim that it was a coincidence was not. In the Japanese version, which launched later that year, the message instead refers to a "dread class turret".


Later discussion

In 2010, Sakamoto said that Nintendo would "start from scratch" if they returned to the ''Dread'' project. He also said that they were "waiting and watching and reading the comments to see what people are interested in before we make any comment on the project". In other interviews, he denied that the
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game '' Metroid: Other M'' (2010) and the
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
game '' Metroid: Samus Returns'' (2017) were connected to ''Dread''. In May 2010, ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' Craig Harris said that the story for ''Metroid Dread'' was complete, and that Nintendo was able to "bring it back at any time". Following the game's initial listing, critics expressed an interest in ''Metroid Dread'' or a similar 2D side-scrolling ''Metroid'' project being revived. In 2011, ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' cited it as a "game in danger". K. Thor Jensen included it in his list of "video games you will never, ever play". He felt that ''Metroid: Other M'' was a disappointment and it made him nostalgic for ''Dread''. Thomas East included ''Dread'' and its apparent reference in ''Corruption'' in their list of "11 amazing ''Metroid'' facts and secrets". East added that he was hopeful for a possible 3DS release. Marc Zablotny, a writer for the ''
Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally published by EMAP as ''N ...
'', included it in his 2013 wishlist, saying he was more interested in what ''Dread'' "stood for rather than the specific game itself". Zablotny later included it in a list of the "15 more Nintendo Games you never got to play" and called it one of the most infamous cancelled Nintendo games. Nick Chester from ''
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'' criticized Nintendo for its focus on games such as the ''
Brain Age ''Brain Age'', known as ''Dr Kawashima's Brain Training'' in PAL regions, is a series of video games developed and published by Nintendo, based on the work of Ryuta Kawashima. Video games The ''Brain Age'' games, known as ''Brain Training'' ...
'' series over ''Metroid''.


Revival on Nintendo Switch

During Nintendo's
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Nintendo Direct Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentation or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began i ...
presentation on June 15, Nintendo announced that ''Metroid Dread'' was in development for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
, with a release date of October 8, 2021. ''Dread'' was developed by the Spanish developer
MercurySteam Mercury Steam Entertainment S.L., Trade name, doing business as MercurySteam, is a Spanish video game developer based in San Sebastián de los Reyes, Community of Madrid, Madrid. The company was founded by former members of Rebel Act Studios, w ...
, the studio that developed '' Metroid: Samus Returns'', and
Nintendo EPD commonly abbreviated as Nintendo EPD, is the largest division within the Japanese video game company Nintendo. The division focuses on developing and producing video games, mobile apps, and other related entertainment software for the company. E ...
. Sakamoto said that Nintendo revived the project after seeing what MercurySteam could do with its technology on the Switch. ''Dread'' is the first fully original side-scrolling ''Metroid'' game since ''Fusion''.


Reception

On the
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website
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, ''Metroid Dread'' has a score of 88 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Samuel Claiborn of ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' praised the boss fights, writing that they "range from the traditional big, drooling monsters with patterns and weak points to learn, to almost '' Smash Bros.''-esque encounters with enemies that mimic your move set". Chris Carter of ''
Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. History ' ...
'' said ''Dread'' "masterfully" executed the
Metroidvania Metroidvania is a sub-genre of platform video games focused on guided non-linearity and utility-gated exploration and progression. The term is a portmanteau of the names of the video game series '' Metroid'' and ''Castlevania'', with games in th ...
formula, and that it "doesn’t take a lot of big swings, but it rarely bats a foul ball". ''
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''s PJ O'Reilly liked the returning mechanics and the newer additions, saying "it always feels as though you've got a ton of choice in how to explore and move around your richly detailed surroundings". Joe Findly of ''CGM'' wrote that "''Metroid Dread'' is a wonderful, modern take on a classic game from childhood". ''IGN'' wrote that it "brings back the legendary exploration and progression and merges it with excellent modern combat and some of the best boss fights ever".


Sales

''Metroid Dread'' pre-orders topped the
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Video Game Best Sellers list in the US, UK, Japan, and Australia. It was also the most pre-ordered game following
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at
GameStop GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), and is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operates 4,5 ...
. ''Dread'' had the highest-grossing physical launch of the franchise in the UK, debuting at number three on the weekly video games sales charts. Including digital copies, the game is also the fastest-selling ''Metroid'' game in the UK. In the United States, ''Dread'' debuted at #3 and sold 854,000 copies in its first month, making it the fastest-selling ''Metroid,'' according to Nintendo of America president
Doug Bowser Doug Spencer Bowser is an American businessman, currently serving as the president of Nintendo of America. He succeeded Reggie Fils-Aimé as president in 2019, having previously worked for Procter & Gamble and Electronic Arts. Early career B ...
. In Japan, it debuted at number one, selling 86,798 retail copies in its first week of release. Including digital copies, ''Dread'' outsold the life-to-date sales of nearly every ''Metroid'' game in Japan in its first week. By May 10, 2022, it had sold more than 2.9 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling ''Metroid'' game.


Awards and accolades

At
The Game Awards 2021 The Game Awards 2021 was an award show that honored the best video games of 2021. The event was hosted by Geoff Keighley, creator and producer of The Game Awards, and was held to an invited audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on De ...
, ''Metroid Dread'' won the award for Best Action/Adventure Game. At the Golden Joystick Awards, the game won in the category Nintendo Game of the Year. It was also named Game of the Year by ''Time'' and ''
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''.


References


External links

* {{Metroid series 2021 video games Cancelled Nintendo DS games Golden Joystick Award winners Metroid games Metroidvania games Nintendo Switch games Nintendo Switch-only games Side-scrolling video games Single-player video games The Game Awards winners Vaporware video games Video games about robots Video games developed in Japan Video games developed in Spain Video games featuring female protagonists Video games set on fictional planets Video games that use Amiibo figurines